Feb. in the WDW vets......
- Thread starter ARmomof2
- Start date
What are you best tips for visiting in Feb?
HeatherC
Alas...these people I live with ...
- Joined
- May 23, 2003
- Messages
- 7,478
How exciting? Where are you staying? What week are you going? (President's Week will be very crowded as it is school vacation week for New England.)
Here are some quick tips:
1. Bring warm clothes along with bathing suits. Weather can be 50 one minute and 75 the next.
2. Make a list of what you want to see but be flexible. Most people don't realize Disney is the size of Manhattan.
3. Check out the touring plan recommendations as you get closer. It will tell you what day is the best to visit each park based on crowd levels. wdwtouring.com (I think that's the link).
4. Pick a day to buy souvenirs so you are not lugging them through the parks! We usually go to downtown Disney one night for this.
5. If you want to see the MK fireworks, but not fight crowds, you can watch from the beaches at GF and the Poly.
6. Character meals are great with little ones. We prefer a lunch one to break up our day. But most people do breakfast or dinner. Depends on your family.
7. Hit the parks early...you will see more in half the time.
8. Bring in snacks with you. That way you don't have to waste time waiting in line or spending the money. When my kids were little I fed them something like every hour and it kept them from getting cranky.
9. Schedule down time or pool time. Kids will really need this as will mom or dad. When we go, we'll do like two park days in a row then one pool day. Otherwise we are all dragging.
10. If you aren't doing the dining plan, remember that you can buy anything off the menu "a la carte". If your kids just want grapes, you can buy just grapes, etc.. Saves a lot of money!
11. Read, read and then read these boards some more. Makes the planning fun and you will find so many great tips.
These are just a few I can think of for now, but I know you will get a ton of other great tips!
Have an awesome time!
Here are some quick tips:
1. Bring warm clothes along with bathing suits. Weather can be 50 one minute and 75 the next.
2. Make a list of what you want to see but be flexible. Most people don't realize Disney is the size of Manhattan.
3. Check out the touring plan recommendations as you get closer. It will tell you what day is the best to visit each park based on crowd levels. wdwtouring.com (I think that's the link).
4. Pick a day to buy souvenirs so you are not lugging them through the parks! We usually go to downtown Disney one night for this.
5. If you want to see the MK fireworks, but not fight crowds, you can watch from the beaches at GF and the Poly.
6. Character meals are great with little ones. We prefer a lunch one to break up our day. But most people do breakfast or dinner. Depends on your family.
7. Hit the parks early...you will see more in half the time.
8. Bring in snacks with you. That way you don't have to waste time waiting in line or spending the money. When my kids were little I fed them something like every hour and it kept them from getting cranky.
9. Schedule down time or pool time. Kids will really need this as will mom or dad. When we go, we'll do like two park days in a row then one pool day. Otherwise we are all dragging.
10. If you aren't doing the dining plan, remember that you can buy anything off the menu "a la carte". If your kids just want grapes, you can buy just grapes, etc.. Saves a lot of money!
11. Read, read and then read these boards some more. Makes the planning fun and you will find so many great tips.
These are just a few I can think of for now, but I know you will get a ton of other great tips!
Have an awesome time!
duffy
The Tag Fairy did not give me this tag...I wrote i
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2000
- Messages
- 2,628
We were in WDW the first week of Feb. 2008. It was great, there were very low crowds.
For restaurant choices, I'd recommend the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom. Pooh and friends will be there, and it's a lot of fun. We also enjoyed Biergarten. The "oompah" band there was great, and we all had a blast!
Don't hoard your meal credits. If you want a snack, get one, and don't worry that you'll run out. A lot of people on these boards report that they ended up with lots of snack credits at the end of their stay!
Disney meals are traditionally large, we often "snacked" by getting one counter-service meal and splitting it. They're easily big enough for 2 people.
Don't feel the need to see and do everything. You just can't. Realize that, and you'll be happier. Enjoy watching your little ones have a good time with the little things, and plan to come back in a few years.
For restaurant choices, I'd recommend the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom. Pooh and friends will be there, and it's a lot of fun. We also enjoyed Biergarten. The "oompah" band there was great, and we all had a blast!
Don't hoard your meal credits. If you want a snack, get one, and don't worry that you'll run out. A lot of people on these boards report that they ended up with lots of snack credits at the end of their stay!
Disney meals are traditionally large, we often "snacked" by getting one counter-service meal and splitting it. They're easily big enough for 2 people.
Don't feel the need to see and do everything. You just can't. Realize that, and you'll be happier. Enjoy watching your little ones have a good time with the little things, and plan to come back in a few years.
bluesky225
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2009
- Messages
- 126
You are so right about this! We were there last week and ended up with 16 snack credits left on our last night (for 3 people). We were just never hungry because there is so much food (with the dining plan).
Hope you have a great trip!!
misskate
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2009
- Messages
- 85
My DH and I will be there the first week of February coming up. We wanted to do Crystal Palace as well, but unfortunately it will be closed for maintenance! 
I've heard that BOMA at the Animal Kingdom Lodge is fantastic! (It's African flavors though, so your little ones might not be crazy about it.)
Chef Mickey's is a great Character meal, Ohana as well!
I've heard that BOMA at the Animal Kingdom Lodge is fantastic! (It's African flavors though, so your little ones might not be crazy about it.)
Chef Mickey's is a great Character meal, Ohana as well!
Tnkrbelle565
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 14, 2004
- Messages
- 8,490
I was there this February...it was cold and PACKED! They were selling snow pants it was so cold (which as a New Englander cracked me up). At night, most people had hats and gloves on. When I landed...it was 33. In ORLANDO! I was shocked! I only had capris and a thin hoodie and I froze the whole trip.
February is cheerleading competitions and the school groups from Brazil and Argentina are everywhere. Try to plan having lunch at off times because the CS restaurants were super packed with the groups. Groups also hit up the FP machines in droves so a lot of attractions ran out of FPs early in the day. Plan for this and it will be far less annoying!
February is cheerleading competitions and the school groups from Brazil and Argentina are everywhere. Try to plan having lunch at off times because the CS restaurants were super packed with the groups. Groups also hit up the FP machines in droves so a lot of attractions ran out of FPs early in the day. Plan for this and it will be far less annoying!
Hi there!
We were also there the first week of February this past year, and it was downright cold at times. Not to let that scare you, but so that you'll be prepared. We actually had frost two nights of our trip (of course it was 80 the previous week AND the week after - GAH!). You really never, ever can tell what the weather will be like, until you get there.
I am a bit of a weather watcher, and I was faithfully keeping track of the weather for the week of our trip, and literally up until the morning we left, it was saying that most days would be in the 70's... if I hadn't checked it right as I was zipping up my suitcase, I would never have seen those couple days that dipped down into highs of low 50's and 30's in the evenings/mornings. Needless to say, I threw a few more things in the bag and was OH SO HAPPY for them.
My recommendation is to actually bring thin gloves and hats for everyone (tho the hubs probably won't need or wear - at least in my experience ), a couple of good, heavy fleece tops/zippies, and decently heavy long pants, plus all the regular t-shirts, capris, etc. I have silk long johns, and took a couple of the tops and one of the pants, and actually wore a set under my park gear one day (48 was the high!). We still had a great time, but every morning, folks were raiding my suitcase for warmer clothes. 
Avoid cottony stuff for your outermost gear - it's heavier, bulkier and if it gets wet (it might shower), it will only retain the cold and never dry out... fleece/microfleece holds in heat better, is light, packs down to nothing and will still insulate if it gets wet. And, Old Navy sells it for cheap.
While the weather wasn't what we'd wanted, we still had such a great time!!! So will you!!
We were also there the first week of February this past year, and it was downright cold at times. Not to let that scare you, but so that you'll be prepared. We actually had frost two nights of our trip (of course it was 80 the previous week AND the week after - GAH!). You really never, ever can tell what the weather will be like, until you get there.
I am a bit of a weather watcher, and I was faithfully keeping track of the weather for the week of our trip, and literally up until the morning we left, it was saying that most days would be in the 70's... if I hadn't checked it right as I was zipping up my suitcase, I would never have seen those couple days that dipped down into highs of low 50's and 30's in the evenings/mornings. Needless to say, I threw a few more things in the bag and was OH SO HAPPY for them.
My recommendation is to actually bring thin gloves and hats for everyone (tho the hubs probably won't need or wear - at least in my experience
), a couple of good, heavy fleece tops/zippies, and decently heavy long pants, plus all the regular t-shirts, capris, etc. I have silk long johns, and took a couple of the tops and one of the pants, and actually wore a set under my park gear one day (48 was the high!). We still had a great time, but every morning, folks were raiding my suitcase for warmer clothes. Avoid cottony stuff for your outermost gear - it's heavier, bulkier and if it gets wet (it might shower), it will only retain the cold and never dry out... fleece/microfleece holds in heat better, is light, packs down to nothing and will still insulate if it gets wet. And, Old Navy sells it for cheap.
While the weather wasn't what we'd wanted, we still had such a great time!!! So will you!!
Thanks for the tips! Boma is on our short list for supper one night. We are thinking about the luau at POLY, the princess dinner at Norway, the Playhouse Disney dinner DHS, and Chef Mickey too? Will we be on character overlaod!?
Thanks for the tips on clothes. I am trying to accumlate stuff slowly!!!!
Thanks for the tips on clothes. I am trying to accumlate stuff slowly!!!!
Tnkrbelle565
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 14, 2004
- Messages
- 8,490
Good food choices! Make sure you check out the menus! I would also consider some breakfasts instead of dinners with kids those ages. Particularly Akershus. The dinner is for more adventurous eaters...breakfast is pretty standard with some additional traditional Norweigan dishes.
We like the character meals because they are buffets for the most part. We actually get DD to eat better at buffets because she'll try different things.
Boma is FABULOUS. We love love love it.
Its hard to type and think with a 10 month old trying to "help"!!!!!!
PrncessA
Dis_Mom_
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2009
- Messages
- 1,858
We did a character meal nearly every day and it was one of the best decisions of our trip. If you are lucky you won'thave to wait in lines to see many characters since you have already saw them all. Our favorites were Crystal Palace, Akershus and 1900 Park Fare. Character interaction at Chef Mickey's was great but the food made us sick, but I have heard good reviews on the food as well, so who knows.
We had the DxDDP so we had a ton of snacks and I totally agree with not worrying about using your snack credits. We snacked what we wanted and when and at the end of the trip we only had 2 extras snacks and that was partly because I saved them to get the kids Mickey Rice Krispies for the plane.
From a first timer to another my biggest tip is to make sure you relax and enjoy first time experiences like pulling up the resort for the first time or entering the MK for the first time. I tried my hardest NOT to think about anything but the moment but it can be tough!
Have a great trip! We are planning our next trip for Feb 2011!
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